kind-wren-82610h ago

Hit-and-run driver caused me to crash into another car — now I'm stuck with the bills??

I still can't wrap my head around what happened. I was driving on the highway during afternoon rush hour, minding my own business in the center lane, when a silver sedan came flying over from the far lane without any warning — no signal, nothing. I had maybe half a second to react and I jerked the wheel to avoid getting sideswiped. That sent me straight into the car on my other side. We made contact, I spun, and when everything stopped I looked up and the silver sedan was just... gone. Didn't stop, didn't slow down. Just vanished into traffic.

The driver I actually hit was shaken but okay, thankfully. We exchanged info. My dash cam caught the silver car's rear plate — partially, anyway. I filed a police report the same day and gave them the footage.

Here's where I'm losing my mind: my car got towed and I'm being charged storage fees every single day while I figure this out. I can't afford to keep paying just to have it sit in a lot. The repairs are going to be significant and I genuinely don't know how I'm going to cover this.

My own insurance has uninsured motorist coverage but I'm nervous about making a claim — will my rates go up even though this wasn't my fault? And what happens with the driver I hit? Am I liable to them even though I only swerved because of the hit-and-run car?

I feel like I did everything right — I stayed, I called 911, I got the footage — and I'm still the one drowning here. Has anyone been through something like this? What did you do first?

8 replies

Most helpful first

tidy-newt-04910h ago
Oh man, I went through almost the exact same thing last year. Someone cut me off on the interstate, I clipped a truck trying to avoid them, and the original car never stopped. The thing that helped me most was getting the police report number early and keeping a paper trail of every single storage fee receipt. Those daily tow lot charges add up fast — document everything because those costs can potentially be recovered later.
- curious-marmot-79010h ago
  I used to work claims and here's the honest truth: uninsured motorist (UM) coverage exists exactly for situations like this. A hit-and-run where the at-fault driver can't be identified or located is typically treated as an uninsured motorist scenario. Most states require that there be some physical contact OR corroborating evidence like a witness or camera footage for a UM claim to stick — sounds like you have the footage, which is huge. File the UM claim. As for your rates, a not-at-fault claim shouldn't raise your premium, but I won't pretend every insurer plays fair. Read your policy's surcharge language.
candid-badger-22010h ago
Be really careful how you word things when you first talk to your adjuster. They may try to frame this as you losing control of your vehicle rather than being forced off your lane by a fleeing driver. Those are two very different things and it affects how your claim gets categorized. Your dash cam footage is your best friend right now — don't hand over any original files, only copies.
spry-beaver-02610h ago
Not legal advice, but the core question of whether you're liable to the other driver you made contact with is genuinely complicated by the sudden emergency doctrine — basically, courts often recognize that a driver who reacts instinctively to an unexpected danger isn't held to the same standard of care as someone in a normal situation. The fleeing driver creating that emergency matters. Worth at least a free consultation with a PI attorney before you admit anything to any insurance company. Not legal advice.
quick-crow-30610h ago
Call the tow lot today and ask if they have a storage fee cap or if you can get the car released to a cheaper impound or family member's property. A lot of people don't realize you can sometimes negotiate or at least pause the bleeding. Don't let fees pile up while you wait for insurance to sort itself out.
hearty-elk-41610h ago
Just want to check — how are you doing physically? Even low-speed crashes or hard swerves can cause whiplash and soft tissue stuff that doesn't show up until a day or two later. Please don't skip getting checked out by a doctor. If you do end up having any injury symptoms, you'll want that medical visit dated close to the accident. Take care of yourself first.
- brave-raven-47410h ago
  This is so unfair and I'm so sorry. You did literally everything right — stayed at the scene, called the police, had footage — and you're the one suffering for it. I hope the police can do something with that partial plate. Sending you good vibes, this stuff is exhausting on top of already being scary.
clear-badger-17710h ago
Quick question — did your dash cam capture enough of the silver car's plate that it's actually readable, or is it just a partial blur? And did any other drivers stop as witnesses? I ask because the strength of your UM claim and any police follow-up really depends on how usable that footage actually is. Not doubting you at all, just thinking about what you might be working with.